The AU Series : Lost City Of The ZPM's
by ElaineDex
Summary: Can the teams survive an adventure fit for Indiana Jones as they search for a whole city supposedly full of ZPM's?
1. Chapter 1

Date : 17.01.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : Lost City Of The ZPM's

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 1 of ?

Rating : M

Pairings : Lt. Col. John Sheppard / Dr. Ellie Harrison

Major Evan Lorne / Nurse Jessica Reilly

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from my last story - New Beginnings.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : Can the teams survive an adventure fit for Indiana Jones as they search for a whole city supposedly full of ZPM's?**

"You sure you don't want to get married?", Sheppard said as he thrust against Ellie and she moaned and shook her head.

"Definitely not…and…tell me again…why…are we doing….this? 'This' is not talking…", she panted as Sheppard grabbed her thigh and hooked it over his hip giving him deeper access and he groaned at the sensation.

"This is nicer than talking", Sheppard said, burying his face in the crook of her neck and Ellie arched against him as she silently agreed.

It wasn't long before they both climaxed and then they lay together quietly, catching their breath.

Ellie sighed as Sheppard began to snore against her shoulder almost immediately and she nudged him with her elbow.

"Hey!", she said and he blinked at her.

"What?", he replied innocently and Ellie turned to face him.

"John….about us….", she began and he smiled at her.

"You want to call it a day right?", he said and Ellie blushed.

"Do you have to make it sound so callous?", she asked.

"You're dumping me…that is callous", Sheppard replied, his hand caressing her hip and Ellie closed her eyes briefly.

"John…..", she said and he sighed and moved onto his back.

"Is there someone else?", he asked and Ellie moved a little closer and rested her hand on his chest.

"Do you think I would be here like this if there was?", she asked and he looked at her.

"I guess not", he said and she smiled.

"It's not that I don't care about you…and I know we get along just fine but I just cant see us going anywhere. Sex isn't everything John".

Sheppard pulled a face at her.

"You started to change after the other us visited…did the other you say something that made you think about us?", he asked and Ellie propped herself up on one elbow.

"Kind of. You and I got together sort of by accident…you have to admit that", she said and Sheppard nodded as she continued,

"I'd just broken up with Paul and I was feeling low…you changed all that…made me feel wanted…but…I just don't think we're meant to be…I'm not really your type am I?".

"I wouldn't say that", Sheppard said turning so that his whole body was facing her. "Couldn't we just carry on sleeping together…..no strings?".

"John!", Ellie cried, smacking his arm playfully and they laughed before growing serious.

"Is this really what you want?", Sheppard asked and Ellie nodded.

"Okay then….", he said resignedly pulling her to him.

"But I can stay here tonight cant I?", he asked and Ellie smiled and turned in his arms so that she had her back against the front of his body.

"Why not", she said getting comfy.

Just as she was drifting to sleep Sheppard said,

"It's Lorne isn't it? The other you was in love with Lorne and now you're….", he trailed off as Ellie dug her nails into the arm that was draped around her.

"Don't be ridiculous….Major Lorne and I cant stand each other", she said and Sheppard frowned.

"If you say so".

"I do", Ellie confirmed and going to settle down again when Sheppard said,

"And as for Michael…..", he trailed off as her nails dug in again.

"Go to sleep John and enjoy your last night in my bed".

"Just know that I'll be keeping a close eye on your little project", Sheppard said and Ellie sighed.

"Just so long as that's all you do…".

Sheppard nuzzled his face against the back of Ellie's head as he felt her relax into sleep.

He knew that she was right and that they were going nowhere relationship wise, but that didn't mean that he didn't care about her and he had a bad feeling about Michael.

Ellie was still fairly new to the off-world stuff and he didn't want her getting into something that she couldn't handle just yet.

Closing his eyes he told himself that he would talk to Lorne in the morning about keeping watch on Ellie and Michael.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?", Lyssa asked of Ellie as they and Lorne watched on the monitors as Michael began his transformation from wraith to human in what looked like an extremely traumatic fashion.

Ellie grimaced and folded her arms.

"I'm sure it'll work out fine this time", she replied and Lyssa nodded.

"I hope you're right".

Just then Sheppard entered the room and tapped Lorne's arm.

"Can I have a word Major?", he said and Lorne nodded.

"Sure Sir", he replied watching as Sheppard glanced over at Ellie…a strange look in his eyes that Lorne couldn't quite put his finger on and he wondered if that was how you were supposed to look when you'd proposed to someone.

He had heard the rumour that the Colonel and Ellie were getting married and it had surprised him. He personally hadn't thought that they were 'that' well suited.

He followed Sheppard outside to the corridor and said,

"What is it?".

"This whole Michael and Ellie business makes me a little nervous and I'd like if, whenever possible, you'd be around whenever she's with him? I know there'll be times when it'll have to be someone else but I'd feel better if you were around. I'll take my turn when I can too, but seeing as she's not on my team anymore it'll be harder for me to be here when she is", Sheppard said, his voice low and Lorne nodded.

"That's fine Sir…I have to admit that I'm not too keen on all of this myself but if Dr Weir thinks it can work and Dr Harrison does seem convinced….", he trailed off as Ellie and Lyssa exited the room behind them.

"Is everything okay?", Ellie asked and Sheppard nodded.

"Fine…just going over some security stuff", he said and Ellie nodded as she and Lyssa moved away.

Sheppard was just about to tell Lorne that he and Ellie weren't seeing one another any more when his ear-piece buzzed.

It was Weir.

"Can I see you in my office Colonel?".

"On my way", he replied and then turned to Lorne.

"I'll see you later", he said as he headed off and Lorne nodded.

"Sir".

**ONE WEEK LATER**

Ellie and Sheppard had still neglected to tell anyone that they weren't 'together' any more and so everyone around Atlantis still assumed that they were getting married.

Ellie had spent most of the week monitoring Michael in between the couple of off-world recon missions with Lorne, Franks and Lyssa and she believed that she was finally getting somewhere.

One afternoon Ellie was sat in the mess hall with Michael as they ate lunch.

"So…you like that?", she asked as she watched as he devoured a piece of chocolate cake.

Michael laughed. "Yeah…it's real nice", he replied and Ellie smiled.

She lifted her fork and was about to cut into her own slice when she spotted Lorne entering the mess hall with Jessica, his nurse girlfriend.

Jessica was so tall and slim opposed to her own short, curvaceous frame and the fork hovered in mid-air as she saw Lorne's hand slide over Jessica's waist and hip caressingly.

"Do you not want that?", Michael's voice broke through her reverie and Ellie coloured up.

"Er, no…you can have it", she said pushing her plate toward him and Michael grinned eagerly.

Ellie tried to focus on Michael and not look at Lorne and Jessica but they didn't help matters by choosing a table not far from where she was sat with Michael.

Lorne had seen that Ellie was sat with Michael and had engineered it so that he and Jessica sat not far from them.

He knew that Sergeant Stackhouse and Lieutenant Tyler were on duty watching Ellie but he still felt un-nerved by how much time she was spending with the human wraith.

Ellie watched as Michael finished off the cake but she paled as he suddenly said,

"You've been really kind to me these past few days……but Ellie, I do remember who I am….I thought you should know".

Ellie composed herself and then said,

"Do you want to see the recording we made before you…..", she trailed off as he shook his head.

"No need. I can remember everything that went on".

Ellie made an O shape with her mouth and Michael smiled.

"Don't worry…I feel quite at ease with my decision".

"You do?", Ellie asked and he nodded.

"Yeah. In fact, I'd like to repay you for bringing me here to safety".

Ellie frowned at him. "And how do you intend to do that?", she asked and Michael leant forward, his elbows resting on the table.

"The mission I was on….just before I came here…I was supposed to be travelling to a city that holds numerous ZPM's hidden within it. I could give you the location", he said and Ellie also leant forward.

"You have the location?", she asked and Michael nodded and tapped one of his temples.

"It's all in here", he said.

"You know Colonel Sheppard and Dr Weir would not let you leave here just yet don't you?", Ellie asked, becoming dubious and Michael nodded.

"I can transfer the information to your conscious mind…if you'll let me", he replied and Ellie glanced first at Stackhouse and Tyler and then over to Lorne who looked away but not quick enough for her not to realise that he too was watching them.

"It will only take seconds but we need to choose our moment carefully", Michael told her and she sighed deeply.

"What do you need to do?", she asked.

"Touch your temple momentarily", Michael replied.

Ellie nodded, weighing up what he was saying carefully. "Okay…just do it", she told him eventually.

Michael reached out and placed his finger tips at her temples and Ellie was immediately transported to another time and place….she saw ZPM's in abundance, caves, rivers, a temple and a map…..

Jessica was rambling on about their date tonight but Lorne couldn't concentrate…his mind was on the Doctor at the table to their left and the wraith that she was sat with.

He glanced over and his heart almost stopped as he saw Michael's hands resting against Ellie's temples and she looked pale and all but ready to pass out.

He stood abruptly causing Jessica to pause mid-sentence and he indicated that Stackhouse and Tyler take up positions behind Michael.

He moved to the table just as Michael removed his hands from Ellie's head and she sagged back in her chair as though exhausted.

"What the hell did you do to her?", Lorne asked, pressing his hand-gun against Michael's forehead.

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

Date : 21.01.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : Lost City Of The ZPM's

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 2 of ?

Rating : M

Pairings : Lt. Col. John Sheppard / Dr. Ellie Harrison

Major Evan Lorne / Nurse Jessica Reilly

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from my last story - New Beginnings.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : Can the teams survive an adventure fit for Indiana Jones as they search for a whole city supposedly full of ZPM's?**

As Ellie regained her senses she sat forward and looked up at Lorne.

"Major…it's alright, I'm fine. I gave Michael permission to do what he did", she said and although Lorne glanced at her he kept his gun at Michael's head and Tyler and Stackhouse did the same with their P-90's.

"And what exactly was he doing?", he asked and Ellie stood.

"That is between Michael and I for now…", she began but Lorne glared at her.

"I'm sorry Dr Harrison but unless you tell me now I will have to take you and our friend here to the holding cells…for all I know he could have compromised you in some way", he said.

For a split second Ellie couldn't speak she was so angry but she soon found her tongue.

"I have not been compromised…and I resent the fact that you think I could be…Michael has given me some valuable information that could help this city…", she stopped as Lorne turned to face her.

"I don't care what he's given you Doctor, the fact is that he shouldn't be touching you…under any circumstances", he said sounding angry. He turned to Tyler and Stackhouse.

"Take him back to his room and stay with him".

Tyler nudged Michael's arm and he stood to leave with the two marines.

"I'm sorry Michael", Ellie said and he smiled at her, infuriating Lorne even more.

He looked back at her to find her glaring at him, her hands on her hips and he put the safety back on his hand-gun and put it back in his leg-holster.

"You and I need to talk Doctor", he said and she nodded,

"You got that right…but I think we'll include Dr Weir shall we?", she said going to move past him but stopped as she had an afterthought.

"Oh…am I alright to leave on my own…or do you want to come with me just in case I 'have' been compromised and I start to attack people with my NOTEPAD?!".

Lorne caught her arm as she went to leave and she looked at him totally astounded as he said,

"I'll come with you".

"You are impossible", she muttered as she moved away.

"So are you", Lorne retorted as he went to follow.

He looked to the table he had been sat at with Jessica so that he could hastily apologise, but he found that she was no longer there and he sighed as he caught up to Ellie and they left the mess hall.

He and Jessica were not really suited and he had been thinking of breaking things off with her. He'd have to try and find her after this thing with Ellie was done.

They made their way to Weir's office and Ellie knocked on the glass door before entering and Weir looked up, her smile faltering as she saw that Ellie and Lorne looked about ready to kill one another.

"Is there a problem?", she asked, sighing inwardly as both Lorne and Ellie tried to speak at the same time.

She raised her hands and interrupted them, "Please, one at a time…Dr Harrison, why don't you start", she suggested and Ellie sent a smug smile Lorne's way as she moved closer to Weir's desk.

"Major Lorne thinks that I have been compromised because I let Michael touch me and he wanted to put me in a holding cell if I didn't tell him what was going on", she said and Weir raised her eyebrows.

"Touch you?", she asked, glancing at Lorne who shook his head and folded his arms, clearly agitated.

"My temples…he transferred some information to my mind regarding the location of a city that is apparently full of ZPM's", Ellie said and Lorne could hold his tongue no longer.

"You should have done it in a controlled environment where you both could have been observed, not in the middle of the mess hall where he could quite easily have done anything to your mind", he said and Weir nodded.

"Major Lorne does have a point", she said and Ellie frowned.

"Alright, I admit that maybe I went about it the wrong way but I was confident that Michael wouldn't hurt me and now we have the location to a city that could solve Atlantis' power supply problems indefinitely".

Weir and Lorne exchanged a glance and Weir sighed deeply.

"He gave you the gate address?", she asked and when Ellie nodded she continued,

"Find out what you can about the city from the ancient database. If your search turns up anything definite then I'll consider sending a MALP through the gate".

"No problem", Ellie replied going to leave but Weir stopped her.

"Dr Harrison…", she said and Ellie turned back to look at her.

"Yes?".

"Major Lorne is only concerned about your safety…please don't fight him over his decisions regarding Michael".

Ellie nodded once, avoiding Lorne's gaze and then she ducked out of the room.

"Thank you ma'am", Lorne said and Weir smiled at him as he followed Ellie.

Ellie stiffened as Lorne fell into step beside her.

"I suppose you're going to gloat now?", she said and Lorne grinned at her.

"Would I do that to you?", he said and Ellie scowled at him.

"Yes, you would", she replied as they paused by the level changer.

"I just don't see why everyone cant trust me with what I'm working on with Michael and…..", she trailed off as the level changer's doors slid open and both she and Lorne saw Jessica and Sheppard wrapped around one another, their tongues half-way down one another's throats.

Ellie gasped, but not because she was upset for herself as she had known that it wouldn't be long before Sheppard would find himself another lover, but more because Jessica was Lorne's so-called girlfriend and he would probably be upset.

She turned to Lorne but instead of finding him looking at Jessica she found he was watching her.

At that moment her heart decided to have one of its 'moments' and she found herself struggling to breath.

Sheppard and Jessica sprung apart and Jessica looked at Lorne, her face a mixture of surprise, guilt and shock.

"Ellie…you alright?", Sheppard said moving past Jessica to get to Ellie and she nodded, fishing in her lab coat pocket for some pills but Lorne had already reached for his supply and he pressed two into her hand and she looked at him gratefully.

"Evan…this wasn't what it looked like…really", Jessica said, moving to stand before Lorne who regarded her coldly.

Sheppard frowned as he stood by Ellie but turned to look at Jessica and Lorne.

"Really?", Lorne replied dryly and Jessica shook her head, her red hair bouncing with the action.

"Colonel Sheppard said he felt a little unwell and I was just checking him over…", she said and Ellie nearly spat the pills that were under her tongue out and she looked up at Sheppard who was looking very confused.

"Well, you can check out whoever you want from now on because we're over", Lorne said going to move when Sheppard said,

"Major I had no idea that she was your….", he trailed off as Lorne raised a hand.

"That's alright Sir…you did me a favour", but then he turned to Ellie and said, "I'm just sorry you had to see that Doc", and then he walked off and Ellie frowned until it dawned on her that Lorne didn't know that she and Sheppard had broken up over a week ago.

Sheppard and Ellie stood gawping at one another, not knowing what to say and then Jessica made a little noise that sounded like a cat being strangled before she moved hastily away.

"Well I didn't know she was seeing Lorne", Sheppard said eventually and Ellie grinned at him as her breathing evened out.

"What are you like!", she said and Sheppard threw an arm around her shoulders as he shrugged.

"So what's new with you?", he asked as they moved away from the level changer.

* * *

A few days later Ellie had gathered together as much information as she could about the Lost City and both Sheppard and Lorne's teams were having a briefing with Weir as the MALP that she had authorised had projected promising images back to them.

"So you really believe that this place is full of ZPM's?", Weir asked and Ellie nodded confidently.

"I think that Michael really wants to help us and the information from the ancient database and now the MALP all looks good".

"I cant believe that you trust a Wraith", Ronon muttered and Ellie coloured up slightly as she looked over at the Satedan but said nothing.

"What do you think Colonel?", Weir asked of Sheppard and he sat back in his chair and regarded Ellie.

Ellie smiled at him hopefully and he sighed deeply.

"Well…what's the worst that can happen?", he said and Ellie relaxed until McKay said,

"Hang on…how do we know this isn't just some elaborate trap set by the Wraith and we're not going to walk into this city and get immediately captured?", he asked and everyone looked at him.

"Every time we go off world we don't know if we'll be faced with the wraith or not…I'm sure we'll cope with whatever is out there…if there is anything out there that is", Lyssa said and Ellie smiled at her too for her little display of support.

"Well I think it's a crazy idea", Lorne said and Ellie glared at him and spoke before she could stop herself.

"You think everything I come up with is crazy".

"That's because it usually is", Lorne replied.

"Well if it all goes pear shaped I'll resign. Will that make you happy?", Ellie snapped and Lorne opened his mouth to reply but Weir cleared her throat to stop any further discussion and everyone looked at her.

"Seeing as everything looks quite promising I don't see why you all cant go and check it out. Dr Harrison you'll need to draw up the map that Michael transferred into your mind so that yourself and Rodney can have a hard copy to work from and if you can get that done today I see no reason why you cant leave tomorrow".

"I can do that", Ellie said and Weir nodded.

"Okay then…well…everyone dismissed and I'll see you when you're ready to leave tomorrow".

* * *

Ellie was just about done with the maps and various other information that Michael had given her when Lorne entered the lab and she looked at him warily as he approached her work bench.

"I'm quite confident that this mission will….", she began but Lorne surprised her by touching her arm to silence her.

"I'm not here to talk about the mission", he said and Ellie frowned.

"You're not?", she questioned and Lorne shook his head.

"I feel like I should apologise for what Jessica did with Colonel Sheppard…I can only imagine how you must be feeling right now and….", he trailed off though as Ellie smiled.

"Major I've been meaning to tell you…John and I broke up just over a week ago".

"You…did?", Lorne said looking confused as he continued, "But I thought you were getting married?".

"John and I were never getting married…someone told me that Lieutenant Franks had overheard a conversation that we'd had and it just all got blown out of proportion", Ellie replied and Lorne nodded.

"I see".

"Thanks for the concern though…and I'm sorry about you and Jessica", Ellie said, watching as Lorne's face grew stony.

"Don't be…I'm not", he said.

Ellie sighed and they looked at one another momentarily before Lorne said,

"So…are these the maps then?".

"You said you weren't here to talk about the mission", Ellie replied, snatching the maps out from under his nose and Lorne bit back a smile as he moved to the doorway.

"So don't forget Doc...if this mission fails you'll be handing in your resignation...", he said, disappearing as a pot of pens hit the door that he'd been standing in front of seconds earlier.

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

Date : 24.01.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : Lost City Of The ZPM's

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 3 of ?

Rating : M

Pairings : None at this point in the story.

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from my last story - New Beginnings.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : Can the teams survive an adventure fit for Indiana Jones as they search for a whole city supposedly full of ZPM's?**

**--**

As Sheppard guided the jumper through the gate and onto the planet where the lost city was, Rodney let out a groan of despair.

"Look! It's just a jungle down there….just trees and foliage and…..insects….", he trailed off as his skin began to crawl and Ronon smirked at him.

"What did you expect Rodney…to see the city right in front of us? It's lost…it's bound to be hidden", Ellie pointed out and Rodney sighed as he realised that they had some searching to do.

"Ellie get up here and tell me where you think I should land…did Michael give you any ideas whereabouts the place is?", Sheppard called over his shoulder and Ellie moved toward the cock-pit and stood in between Sheppard and Lorne.

She surveyed the mass of trees below her and tried to think through what Michael had shown her in her mind.

"Anytime you feel ready", Lorne said sarcastically as she took her time and she turned and glared at him before looking back at Sheppard.

She pointed off to the left.

"Head over that way, there should be some flat open land just before the jungle starts".

Sheppard turned the jumper and followed her directions and surely enough came across the land.

Ellie looked at Lorne and sent him a sweet smile which he ignored.

She moved to the back of the jumper again and reached for her back pack which looked to weigh more than she did.

"I hope you brought your sun cream Rodney…it looks hot down there", she said and Rodney groaned again.

As they got lower to the ground Lyssa moved to sit next to Ellie and she whispered,

"Are you sure about this Ellie? I'd hate for there to be nothing here".

Ellie looked at Lyssa to see if she was being genuine or not. She really hadn't had many dealings with the Calestrian even though they were now on the same team but all she could see in Lyssa's eyes was concern.

"I'm pretty sure yeah…I don't know why I trust Michael…it's just a gut thing y'know?", she replied and Lyssa smiled and Ellie realised how beautiful Lyssa really was.

"Well I'm rooting for you anyhow", Lyssa said and Ellie laughed.

"Thank you…that's good to know".

Sheppard landed the jumper and Ellie and Rodney checked their hand held devices and determined that there were no life signs in the immediate area so it was safe to move out.

As the jumpers back doors opened the sunlight and heat poured inside and everyone immediately turned to Rodney as if to say, 'Don't you dare say a thing' and he looked back at them all with an outraged expression on his face.

"What?!", he cried as everyone began to filter past him.

Once everyone was gathered outside Sheppard cloaked the jumper and they got ready to enter the jungle.

"Ronon, Teyla, you're up front with me, Major Lorne you bring up the rear with Franks and Lyssa. Ellie and Rodney stay in between us and give directions", he said and everyone got into position as they headed for the trees.

They walked for a while in silence, listening to the sounds of the jungle, Rodney twitching nervously.

Eventually the ground began to slope upwards and Sheppard turned to look at the others.

"Everyone ok back there?".

Various responses came back and Ellie called out,

"According to the map, once we get to the top of this incline we should be able to see the temple which is in the centre of the city so we'll get an indication of how much further it is".

"Okay", Sheppard replied, stepping up his pace, eager to get to the top.

Ellie huffed slightly as she shifted her heavy back pack slightly and Lorne watched from his position at the back.

He wondered what the hell she had in there…the kitchen sink probably, knowing Ellie.

He wondered if he should offer to carry it for her but hell, she had wanted to bring so much stuff so she could carry the damn thing. As they continued up the incline he pushed his nagging guilt to the back of his mind and looked away and into the trees either side of them.

They were all half-way up when Sheppard said,

"Do you hear that?".

"What?", asked Ronon and Sheppard placed a finger to his lips.

"Shush…listen".

They all strained their ears and then Lyssa said,

"Sounds like there's water up ahead".

"That's what I was hoping you 'wouldn't' say", Sheppard replied and Lyssa smiled at the crushed look upon his face.

"So what's so bad about water?", Ronon asked as they all continued to climb.

"Depends how much of it there is", replied Sheppard.

As they reached the top of the incline and realised that they on the edge of a ravine Sheppard said,

"See?", as they took in the rushing water below them as it swirled and crashed around rocks.

"Oh this is just great", Rodney said as he staggered to the edge and looked over gingerly at the water below then over at the other side of the ravine where they needed to get to. "That map of yours is wrong from the outset...this is not being able to see the temple is it?"

Ellie pulled a face at him and then noticed some inscriptions on some huge boulders to one side and she moved over to check them out, Lorne following her.

As she moved some foliage that was stuck to the first boulder, Ronon found some twines hanging from somewhere above and promptly began to swing from this side of the ravine to the other and back again.

"Whoa!", Sheppard cried out as he watched Ronon flying across the water without warning and the others watched on in shock.

"It's easy", he told them all as he landed but Ellie waved her hands as she read the inscriptions.

"What is it?", Lorne asked and she turned to face him and the others.

"We only get so many swings out of the ropes so we have to use them wisely seeing as we don't know if anyone else has been here before us", she said and Ronon looked at her guiltily.

"Sorry", he muttered.

"Is there no other way to get across here?", Teyla asked and Rodney laughed.

"Well it looks like there 'was' a bridge at one time", and he pointed further up the ravine and they all looked to see the decrepit looking rope bridge which was all but destroyed and there was no way they could safely use it.

Sheppard sighed.

"Okay so it looks like it's the ropes then", he said testing two or three twines' strength by tugging on them forcefully.

"Looks like they should hold two so pair up…if we only get limited swings we'd better not risk one at a time".

Ellie smiled as Teyla and Franks gravitated toward one another and she turned to head for Sheppard but saw that Lyssa was already stood by him.

Frowning she was about to head for Ronon but Rodney stepped in front of her.

"Ah…I'm with Captain Caveman here if you don't mind…I feel certain that Major Lorne would drop me in the water just to spite me", he said and Ellie looked at him.

"What makes you think that he wont drop me in there?", she asked and Rodney regarded her as he made sure his back pack was secure.

"Because you have a weak heart and if he dropped you it would probably kill you and……", he trailed off as he wrapped his arms tightly around Ronon's waist and received a killer glare from him in return.

Suddenly Ronon took off across the ravine and Rodney let out a high-pitched scream and everyone watched, their eyes wide as they hurtled out across the water.

"You look like Tarzan and Jane!", Sheppard called out as they landed on the other side, Rodney collapsing into a quivering heap as everyone laughed.

"You're crazy!", he snapped at Ronon who grinned at him.

Teyla and Franks went next, Teyla wrapping her delicate arms around Franks' neck as he hung on to their twine and he smiled at her making her feel warm inside as he said,

"Ready?", and she nodded.

They cleared the ravine safely and then Sheppard turned to Ellie and Lorne.

"Okay, you two go", and Lorne wrapped a twine around one hand and arm and looked at Ellie expectantly.

She stared at him dubiously for a second or two before moving closer and she held her breath as he wrapped his free arm around her waist.

"You'd better hold on to me too", he told her and Ellie almost shyly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Here we go", Lorne said as he launched them off the edge and Ellie shut her eyes tightly and buried her face in Lorne's neck as she felt the cool breeze from the water whipping around them as they crossed.

They landed safely on the other side and Lorne let go of the twine but kept his arm around Ellie's waist as she was still clamped to him.

"You can let go now", he said warily and her head snapped up and she opened her eyes and blinked at him.

"Oh…yeah…sorry", she said, blushing as she pulled her arms from around his neck.

They moved away from one another and turned to watch Sheppard and Lyssa as they prepared to cross.

Lyssa put an arm around Sheppard's shoulders and he did the same as Lorne had with Ellie, one hand at her waist and one on the twine.

They pushed off and were almost across when their twine snapped and they had to push themselves forward in mid-air and Lyssa clung to Sheppard as he just about managed to grab the edge of the ravine.

Ellie, Rodney and Teyla cried out as everyone rushed to the edge just in time to see Lyssa begin to slide down Sheppard's body and she managed to keep a hold on his calves.

"Hang on", he said through clenched teeth as he strained to keep his grip on the edge.

Ronon and Lorne lay on their stomachs and grabbed Sheppard's arms.

"Lyssa, try to climb up the Colonel", Lorne said and Lyssa looked up at them and at Sheppard's butt dubiously.

She knew that she could do this…she had to and so she began to shuck her way up Sheppard's hard body, pushing her embarrassment to the back of her mind as she managed to finally flatten her chest against his back.

"Okay…pull", Lorne said Ronon as Franks moved in to help and they pulled Sheppard and Lyssa to safety.

"Thanks", Sheppard said rubbing his arms as he turned to look at Lyssa.

"Are you alright?", he asked and she nodded.

"Sorry about grabbing your ass back there", she said and Sheppard grinned at her.

"That's okay…I didn't mind", he said and she laughed.

She hadn't really taken that much notice of Sheppard, not because he wasn't noticeable, he was quite the opposite in fact, but she had been with Ronon and she had had other worries on her mind.

They had a five minute break to get over the shock of almost losing Sheppard and Lyssa and then Lorne turned to Ellie.

"So where to now?", he asked and she looked around.

"This way", she said going to head off toward a gap in the trees but he caught her arm.

"We get back into formation", he said and she sighed at the coldness in his voice and she watched as he moved over to Lyssa as Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla moved past her.

She ignored them and continued to watch as Lorne touched his hand to Lyssa's back.

"Are you alright?", she heard him say softly and she blinked as a feeling she didn't like twisted through her.

'Did Lorne like Lyssa?', she wondered, then thought, 'Well so what if he does?'.

Just then Rodney's voice kick-started Ellie's brain and she turned to see him, Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla stood beyond the gap in the trees.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me!", he wailed loudly and Ellie moved forward as did Lorne, Franks and Lyssa and they gasped as they saw what the others did.

Below them in the distance they could see the top of the temple but for what seemed like miles in front of them there was nothing but a maze of solid walls seperated in the middle by some more trees and then more walls up to the temple.

"Crap!", Ellie muttered.

"Crap is right", Lyssa breathed at her side.

End of Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

Date : 28.01.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : Lost City Of The ZPM's

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 4 of ?

Rating : M

Pairings : None at this point in the story.

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from my last story - New Beginnings.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : Can the teams survive an adventure fit for Indiana Jones as they search for a whole city supposedly full of ZPM's?**

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

The two teams made their way down toward the walls of the maze and stood staring up at them for a moment.

"Could we not just walk along the tops of the walls?", Sheppard asked and Ellie shook her head.

"I doubt it", she replied but Sheppard tapped Ronon's arm.

"Give me a help up here", he said and Ronon cupped his hands so that he could help boost Sheppard to the top of the wall.

No sooner had he stood on top of it though than it lowered to ground level.

Sheppard moved off of it and it returned to its original height.

"Don't say I told you so", he said pointing a finger at Ellie and she grinned at him.

"Here's the way in", Lieutenant Franks said from further along and they all moved and saw the archway that led into the maze.

"So we definitely have to go through this too?", Lorne asked of Ellie and Rodney who had their heads together studying their maps.

"It looks that way Major", Rodney replied and Lorne raised his eyebrows at Sheppard as they prepared to go in.

"Okay, same formation, stick together", Sheppard instructed as he entered the maze first.

They made their way around and got quite far in before encountering their first dead end.

"Damn….turn around guys", Sheppard said doing a 360 with his finger in the air and everyone turned around and headed back the way they'd come.

"Well…at least we haven't seen any wraith so far", Rodney said just as Lorne held a hand up indicating that they stop.

"I think you just spoke too soon Doc", he said and they all crowded around to see the dead bodies of two wraiths.

"Do you think they're dead because they couldn't find their way out of this maze?", Franks asked and Rodney looked at Ellie accusingly as he replied,

"Probably".

Ellie sighed getting a little tired of Rodney's negativity.

"For heavens sake anything could have killed them", she said and Sheppard glanced around.

"Well I say we move on before the 'anything' comes back".

Lorne agreed and they moved on and abruptly came to another dead end.

They were about to move away again when Ellie noticed some carvings on the wall of the dead end.

As she looked at it she said, "I've seen this before".

She reached into her back pack and pulled out a printout.

"Well would you look at that", Lyssa said as they all saw that the lines of the paper matched the carvings on the wall exactly.

"These are all possible routes that lead through the maze", Ellie said.

"But which is the right one?", Rodney asked anxiously.

"That I don't know", Ellie replied deflating slightly and Lyssa leaned in to look more closely at the printout.

"Look at that….", she said pointing at one particular route.

"Does that look more prominently drawn to anyone else or is it just me?".

The paper was passed around and everyone agreed that it did. Even the same route on the carving on the wall was slightly deeper than the others.

"I bet that's it then", Ellie said.

"You bet?", Lorne asked, his tone of voice telling her that he was not a betting man.

"Do you have to pick up on everything I say Major?", she asked sounding annoyed.

Before Lorne could reply though Sheppard said,

"Now, now kids, let's play nicely and find the entrance of this damn maze again so that we can start over", and he moved past them leaving Ellie and Lorne glaring at one another yet again.

They all got back to the starting point and began to follow the route from the print-out.

Things were going well until the ground began to rumble.

"Crap!", Sheppard said as they all stopped to look around.

"I suggest we RUN!", Rodney screamed as the wall behind them began to fall.

They all did as he said, Ellie up front trying to follow the correct line through the maze.

"A little quicker Doc if you don't mind", Lorne shouted out from the back as a wall barely missed hitting him on its way down.

Ellie didn't respond, merely quickened her pace and she found the exit and they all just about got out in time and turned to see the maze collapse in on itself completely leaving huge clouds of dust and them all coughing.

"That was close", Ronon said as Rodney cleared his throat nervously.

They caught their breath and Sheppard said,

"Okay lets carry on…we'll find somewhere suitable to rest for a few hours…looks like the light is starting to fade".

They moved into the trees unaware that they were now being observed.

--

A while later and they were all walking single file along a narrow path of which either side were steep embankments covered in twigs and leaves and Ellie was finding it increasingly difficult to keep her heavy back pack in place. Her shoulders ached as did her back but she didn't complain.

She tried to switch the bag onto one shoulder but the weight of it swayed her unexpectedly and before she knew what was happening her right foot unbalanced on a stone and she fell and began hurtling down the embankment.

"Ellie!", Sheppard and Lyssa called out at the same time but it was Lorne who was already following her down the slope.

Ellie landed at the bottom in a heap having rolled through mud and having torn her combats on various sharp twigs but at the most she was bruised and her pride stung.

She groaned and was trying to get up when Lorne appeared at her side.

"Don't move", he told her as he checked for broken bones.

"I'm alright Major…", she told him, still trying to get up as they heard Sheppard holler down to them,

"Major…what's happening?".

"The Doc's alright Sir, just bruises. We'll be back up shortly", Lorne called back and Sheppard sighed in relief and looked at the others who also looked relieved.

Lorne tried to help Ellie up but her weighty back pack was a hindrance and he grabbed it from her, surprised to feel just how heavy it was.

He dropped it to the floor again as Ellie got up.

"What the hell have you got in this thing? You need to leave this here and…", Lorne began but Ellie shook her head.

"I need everything that's in there and I wont leave it", she said absently rubbing her elbow but anger flared in her as Lorne bent and went to open her pack.

"Surely there is some crap you can get rid of…", he began reaching for the clasps and she grabbed his wrist forcing Lorne to look at her.

"I want everything that's in there…and I don't know why you're so bothered as you aren't the one that's carrying it are you?", she snapped and Lorne glared at her.

He was just about to order her to leave it when Sheppard's voice filtered down to them.

"Major? What's taking so long?".

"Just on our way Sir", Lorne called back and he stood and handed the pack back to Ellie, who immediately sagged under its weight.

"For Christ's sake", Lorne muttered, snatching the pack back from her and hoisting it onto his back, over his own.

"Are you alright to climb back up?", he asked and Ellie glanced at the embankment and nodded.

Eventually they reached the path and Teyla and Lyssa approached Ellie, asking if she was okay and Sheppard smirked at Lorne when he saw that he was now carrying her back pack. He knew from experience how heavy Ellie's, and Rodney's for that matter, could be.

Still he said nothing and they carried on eventually reaching a clearing of sorts, a small waterfall and pool to one side.

"Okay we'll stop here", Sheppard said and Rodney immediately sat down.

"Oh thank God", he groaned rubbing at his ankles and legs.

"Lorne, Franks, Ronon…we'll each take an hours watch", Sheppard said and Lorne moved forward.

"I'll go first Sir", he volunteered, needing to put some distance between himself and Ellie before he throttled her.

He didn't know why she wound him up like she did. She didn't seem to irritate Sheppard or Franks or anyone for that matter the way she irritated him. Sighing he took up watch position as the others set up camp.

Ellie rummaged in her back pack and to her dismay realised that she hadn't packed another pair of combats…only a dress for some reason and she sighed in frustration.

'That will have to do', she thought as she tucked it under her arm and headed for Sheppard.

"I need to wash this crap off me", she told him and he looked her up and down, grinning at the state of her torn and muddied clothes.

"Well I guess you could use the pool over there", he thought for a moment then continued, "Teyla! Lyssa!", and the other two women headed over to them.

"Watch Ellie while she cleans up will you…no-one should go anywhere alone".

Lyssa could see the disgruntled look on Ellie's face which clearly said that she did not need to be watched and as the three of them moved toward the water she said,

"I'm glad you wanted to clean up too…I need to but I was a little dubious about coming over here alone".

"You were?", Ellie replied sounding uncertain and Lyssa nodded as Teyla joined in.

"I also needed to wash and you never know what creatures are lurking in a place like this".

Ellie had a feeling that the two women were just trying to make her feel better but she graciously accepted their efforts and smiled. She was feeling a little sorry for herself after her fall and Lorne snapping at her again and she just hoped that at the end of all this they found at least one working ZPM to take home otherwise she was going to resign and head back to earth.

A fact she was sure Major Lorne would rejoice about.

The three of them washed and Ellie pulled off her torn clothes and Lyssa stopped mid-putting her T-shirt back on as she saw the pale blue, knee-length sun dress that Ellie put on and she knew that Lorne was going to flip out.

Ellie looked up and caught Teyla and Lyssa looking at her and she coloured up.

"I know, I know…but I have nothing else", she said as she re-tied her boots and Lyssa had to laugh at the image.

The perfect sun dress accompanied by military boots and socks pushed down…nice.

Lyssa decided that she would like to get to know Ellie better and maybe they could be friends. She liked the way that the Doc didn't fold under Lorne's glare and that she always stuck up for herself.

She looked over at Teyla as they went to head back to the guys.

"Hey, maybe when we get back to Atlantis we could all get together?", she suggested and Teyla and Ellie nodded.

"That would be nice", Teyla agreed and Ellie sighed.

"I'd love to…if I haven't resigned and gone back to earth", she said and Lyssa regarded her.

"We'll find the ZPM's Ellie, don't worry".

They headed back to the others and once there, Ellie opened her back pack again.

She began to pull out sandwiches and a few bottles of water and handed them around.

"Ellie I love you", Rodney said gratefully unwrapping the sandwich that she gave him and Franks nodded,

"Me too".

"I cant believe that you did this", Teyla said and Ellie shrugged.

"Why didn't you say this was what was in that thing…along with all your other crap? I'd have carried it for you", Sheppard told her, taking a swig of some of the water.

"That's okay", she said taking the back pack to head over to where Lorne stood a distance away.

Lyssa and Teyla glanced at one another before eating their sandwiches.

Lorne looked at Ellie…her attire catching his attention seconds before the back pack and she saw him begin to look like he was going to implode and so she bent down, reached into the cumbersome pack and then thrust a sandwich under his nose.

"What the….?", he trailed off and Ellie said,

"It's a sandwich Major…and here..", and she bent again and retrieved a bottle from the pack and thrust that at him too before continuing, "is some water…please be careful not to choke on either wont you", and with that she turned and stomped away.

Lorne stared after her, his mouth hanging open.

She had been carrying food for them all plus her own gear.

'Well now I feel like a jerk', he thought. 'But how the hell had he been meant to know that's what she'd been up to?'.

Sighing he took some water and then swiftly ate the sandwich, all the time keeping watch for any signs of movement.

He changed positions a few times before Ronon came to take over.

Lorne headed over to where everyone was trying to get some sleep and he sat down not far from where Ellie was lying on her bedroll, shivering.

'Well she would in that stupid dress', he thought. 'You'd have thought she'd have known that the temperature would drop when the sun went down'.

Sighing he pulled his jacket and bedroll from his pack and stood. Moving over to her he dropped his jacket gently over her and then moved away.

Sheppard observed through squinted eyes and smiled to himself.

Love/hate relationships…you had to love 'em!

End of Chapter 4


	5. Chapter 5

Date : 31.01.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : Lost City Of The ZPM's

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 5 of ?

Rating : M

Pairings : None at this point in the story.

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from my last story - New Beginnings.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : Can the teams survive an adventure fit for Indiana Jones as they search for a whole city supposedly full of ZPM's?**

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Ellie woke a while later to find someone had put their jacket over her and she snuggled into its warmth just as Sheppard tapped her shoulder.

"Come on Ellie…time to move on", he said and she moaned softly and sat up.

"Is this yours?", she asked, holding the jacket out to him but Sheppard shook his head and pointed at Lorne who was putting his bedroll away and he smiled at the look of dismay that crossed her face.

Ellie stood and after taking a couple of her pills she moved over to Lorne and held his jacket out to him.

"Thanks", she said simply and he nodded once and stuffed the jacket into his pack.

When everyone was ready they headed back into the trees to try and make their way toward the temple that they knew was in the distance. If they could reach that then the city and the ZPM's should be within their reach.

They were walking quietly when Ronon stopped and looked around.

"What is it?", Sheppard asked and Ronon frowned.

"I'm not sure…I just get the feeling that we're not alone here", he replied and Rodney piped up,

"So you got the feeling too huh?".

Suddenly something whizzed by Rodney's ear and he cried out in shock.

"Arrows!! Take cover!", Sheppard yelled and they scattered to the trees as more arrows reigned down.

"Who the hell are these Nimrods?", Sheppard said as quite a few men wearing nothing more than loin cloths and carrying spears and bows and arrows appeared.

"I don't know, but lets just shoot 'em", Ronon said taking aim with his blaster.

"Did Michael say anything about this place having locals?", Lorne said to Ellie as he took aim with his P-90 and Ellie shook her head.

"What do we do Sir?", Franks' voice came through the comms as he and Teyla observed from their position.

Sheppard pulled a face as he tried to think of a plan.

"Rodney, fancy trying to talk to these guys?", he asked and Rodney looked at him in horror from his position behind a tree with Lyssa.

"Who? Me?", he squawked and Sheppard sighed.

"I'll do it", Ellie said and Lorne looked at her out of the corner of his eye as she continued, "I got us into all this so……", she trailed off as she began to cautiously step toward the warriors holding out her hands to show them that she wasn't armed.

Everyone took aim just in case as Ellie cleared her throat.

"Hi…..", she began, frowning as the warrior types began to leer at her as though they'd never seen a woman before and one stepped forward and reached for her and Lorne wasted no time in firing off a shot that hit the man in the shoulder.

The warriors scattered in fright and Ellie turned to Lorne.

"Was that necessary?", she asked as he moved out and grabbed her arm, propelling her toward the others who had also moved out from hiding.

"I thought so", he bit out as they all began to run.

"Come on before they come back with reinforcements", Sheppard called out as they raced through the trees.

Finally they stumbled out of the other side of the jungle and saw before them the decidedly dodgy looking rope bridge that stretched out over the immense nothingness between them and the temples' entrance.

"Oh cra…..", Rodney began but Sheppard cut him off.

"Everyone get on there….start crossing…NOW!", he yelled and Rodney yelped as he was pushed onto the wooden slats and he gripped the rope hand-rails as he wobbled precariously.

"Move McKay", Ronon growled and Rodney slowly began to move forward.

"I think maybe someone else should have gone first", Teyla commented as their progress across the bridge was too slow for her liking.

"You're not kidding", Franks replied glancing back to check the 'Nimrods' hadn't re-appeared behind them.

"Come on McKay…speed it up a little", Sheppard said but Rodney couldn't bring himself to move any faster.

"Don't look down…don't look down", he chanted to himself as he moved.

Finally they reached the other side and entered the temple…everyone except Franks and Teyla who were cut off from the others as the huge stone doors slid shut extremely quickly for objects as heavy as they were.

Franks and Teyla exchanged a look that said, 'Damn' and they tried to open the doors knowing full well that they wouldn't be able to budge them.

Inside Sheppard and the others stared at the doors, unable to believe that Teyla and Franks had been locked outside.

"Teyla!", Sheppard yelled but he couldn't hear any response through the thick stone and so he tried his comms.

"Teyla…Lieutenant…come in?".

Teyla's voice came back crackly but it came back and that was the main thing.

"Colonel…we cannot re-open the doors".

"I know….damn it…", Sheppard replied turning to the others, he continued, "I really didn't want us to split up in any way but looks like that choice has been taken away now so, Lieutenant, Teyla…head back to the jumper…make contact with Elizabeth and tell her we could be a while…and be careful".

"You too Colonel", Teyla replied as she and Franks turned back toward the bridge.

Sheppard and the others then turned to take in the many-pillared hall that stretched before them and Ellie and Rodney made gasping noises at it's beauty.

Every column was ornately decorated and glowed in the torch light.

"Who do you suppose lit them?", Ronon asked indicating to the flaming torches that there anchored to the walls.

"I don't know but lets not stick around to find out", Sheppard replied, nudging Rodney and Ellie with his elbows.

"No time to stop and stare. Keep moving".

They all walked across the magnificent hall, dwarfed by its immense pillars and entered a tunnel at the other end that was also illuminated by burning torches.

"Okay Docs….where next?", Lorne asked looking to Ellie and Rodney who referred to their maps.

"Uh…this way", Ellie said pointing to an entrance off the tunnel they were stood in.

They went in the direction she said and Rodney groaned loudly when they came to the edge of a deep, but not very wide cavern which they needed to swing across again.

"I don't believe this", he wailed, throwing his hands in the air and looking to Sheppard who sighed.

"At least its not as wide as the last one", he offered and Rodney rolled his eyes.

"Okay…Lorne, Ellie, you go first", Sheppard said and Lorne moved forward and grabbed the twine that was hanging down.

He held out an arm to Ellie and she moved toward him, wrapping her arms easily around his neck as though they did this kind of thing all the time.

Once they were on the other side, Lorne threw the twine back toward the others and Ronon caught it. They didn't wait for Rodney and Ronon to swing over as there wasn't much room on the ledge, instead they moved through the doorway and into another side room of which the wall suddenly moved, closing them off.

"What the hell…..", Lorne said, trying to move the wall and Ellie watched on with a worried expression on her face.

"Major? What happened?", Sheppard asked through Lorne's ear-piece.

"I don't know Sir, once we entered the room the wall just shifted and cut us off.

"Damn it…okay, hang on until the four of us get across", Sheppard replied.

"Sir", confirmed Lorne.

Ronon and Rodney swung across and pressed themselves against the wall of the ledge to give Lyssa and Sheppard some room to land when they swung across.

The four of them moved into the room that had been opened up because the original wall had moved to trap Ellie and Lorne.

Before any of them had a chance to say anything though, a wall came up from the floor and cut Ronon and Rodney off from Sheppard and Lyssa.

"Son of a bitch", Ronon said as Rodney flapped his arms in exasperation.

"Great. Just great", he moaned.

"So what do we do now?", Sheppard asked through the comms as he and Lyssa looked at one another, "Lyssa and I are pretty screwed seeing as we're the only ones who don't have a Doc and a map with us".

"Maybe you two should just stay put and Rodney and Ronon and Major Lorne and I can carry on searching", Ellie suggested but Sheppard pulled a face and Lyssa bit back a smile as he said,

"I'm not really liking the idea of that".

"Why not? I'd love to just stay put….", Rodney muttered and Ronon glared at him.

"Well I could try to guide you through but it'll be difficult as you'll probably end up going in a completely different direction to Lorne and I", Ellie said and Sheppard raked a hand through his floppy hair.

"Look…everyone just try and find your way out of this place and Lyssa and I will try to do the same. Keep in radio contact and if you do see any ZPM's lying around do please pick them up", he said and Ellie sighed as Lorne stared at her.

"What?", she snapped and he shook his head and she knew he blamed her for this although it was hardly her fault that the temple had took it upon itself to split the eight of them up.

She studied the map and then said,

"According to this we have to go through there", and she pointed to the exit from the room they were in before continuing, "And then we have to travel upwards".

"Let's go then", Lorne said moving forward and into the next room where they were faced with a completely blocked off room with a rope ladder hanging from a hole in the extremely high ceiling.

As Ellie stared at it, Lorne smirked.

"I guess this is where the travelling upwards comes into it", he said.

"After you then", Ellie said, stepping aside but Lorne shook his head.

"This is your party Doc….you should go first…and besides, I should go second in case anything decides to come after us".

Ellie sighed and went to put her foot onto the first rung of the ladder and then she realised something that made her pause.

She fixed Lorne with a warning glare.

"If you look up my dress it'll be the last thing you do", she said seriously but Lorne's only external reaction to her hostile comment was to blink.

"I won't look up your dress".

Ellie tugged at the skirt of her sundress, wanting it to suddenly morph into trousers as she replied,

"See that you don't".

She stepped onto the ladder and moved up the rungs quite a way before she felt Lorne step on below her, his weight swaying the wobbly contraption and she clung on for dear life.

She closed her eyes as her face flushed.

He had to be looking up her dress…but dare she look down to find out?

Lorne fought against the urge to look up for as long as was humanly possible but he needed to know how far ahead of him Ellie was and how she was doing.

He moved up a few more rungs and then looked up and the first thing his eyes focused on were Ellie's sexy white lacy panties and then her perfectly formed buttocks and thighs.

He was so taken by the sight that he completely missed his footing and swung precariously, shaking the rope ladder.

"Whoa!", he muttered at the same time as Ellie turned to look down and lost her grip on the swaying rope and began to fall, screaming as she plummeted toward Lorne.

End of chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

Date : 05.02.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : Lost City Of The ZPM's

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 6 of ?

Rating : M

Pairings : None at this point in the story.

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from my last story - New Beginnings.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : Can the teams survive an adventure fit for Indiana Jones as they search for a whole city supposedly full of ZPM's?**

Lorne knew the impact was coming and he braced himself and clung tightly to the rope ladder with one hand, leaving an arm free to catch Ellie.

She hit him with a thud, her scream dying her throat as her hands grabbed at his T-shirt to stop herself falling right past him and down onto the stone floor below and she could feel the material stretching and knew it would probably tear soon.

Lorne grabbed her wrist and pulled her hard up against his chest and Ellie pushed her body upwards and released her grip on his T-shirt so that she could launch her arms around his shoulders and wrap her legs around his hips.

They waited for the rope ladder to stop swinging, neither speaking and Lorne frowned into Ellie's hair as he felt her breasts heaving against his chest.

"You okay?", he asked, his arm tight around her waist but she didn't reply or move, merely continued to squeeze him to death.

"Ellie?", he prompted again and this time she managed to nod and say,

"Just give me a sec".

Lorne waited and tried to ignore just how intimately their bodies were pressed together and the image of her lace panties flashed before his eyes and he suppressed a groan at the thought.

He shouldn't be thinking about her like that…he didn't like her for one thing and for another, this was hardly the time or the place.

"We should try to get moving", he said, his voice sounding strained to his own ears and Ellie nodded and lifted her head to look at him.

"Thanks…for pulling me up…if you hadn't……", she trailed off and Lorne shook his head.

"Don't even go there", he said and Ellie nodded and took a deep breath before looking up at the distance she had fallen.

Lorne held her steady as she un-clamped her legs from around him and her feet tried to find a rung on the ladder.

That done, she twisted and let go of his shoulders so that she could grab the ladder with her hands.

She didn't object when Lorne moved up right behind her and he realised that she must be terrified of falling again.

They moved together this time, taking their time and they both released a rush of air when they were both safely through the hole and stood on the floor of the room above.

* * *

"Right…we need to move upwards according to this map", Rodney said and Ronon looked up at the ceiling above him.

Rodney shook his head.

"No…not in here…probably through there", he said, pointing to the archway at the end of the room they were in.

Ronon nodded and headed for the exit. He went through it and grimaced at the rope ladder that went up to a hole in the ceiling just as Ellie and Lorne had found in the room next door.

Rodney groaned as he joined Ronon and he tapped his ear-piece.

"Sheppard? You need to move into the next room and go up the rope ladder to the next level".

"Thanks Rodney", Sheppard's voice came back and he and Lyssa headed for the archway at the back of the room they were in.

As Ronon and Rodney began to climb their ladder, Sheppard's voice said in their ears.

"Ah, McKay…you did say up and not down didn't you?", he asked and Rodney frowned.

"Yes".

"That's what I thought", Sheppard said as he and Lyssa looked through the hole in the floor and peered at the rope ladder that hung down to the floor of the level below them.

Sighing, Sheppard sat on the edge of the hole and moved onto the ladder. He looked up at Lyssa as he muttered,

"Whose bright idea was this mission again?".

"Ellie's…and I have every faith in her, don't you?", Lyssa replied, getting onto the ladder above him and Sheppard cleared his throat as his mouth dried up at the sight of her firm butt wiggling above his head.

"Oh yeah…sure…", he replied distractedly and Lyssa frowned and checked below her so that she didn't stand on Sheppard's fingers.

They got to the bottom and looked around at the walls of the room that was exactly the same as the one they had just come from.

"Now what?", Lyssa asked.

* * *

Teyla and Franks had made it back across the rickety bridge with no sign of the 'Nimrods' returning but both were grateful for the cover of the trees once more.

The sun beat down upon them as it rose higher in the sky with each passing moment and when they had walked for a while Franks watched as Teyla wiped her brow with the back of her hand.

"So…..", he said, trailing off suddenly lost for words as Teyla looked at him expectantly.

"So…what?", Teyla asked when the Lieutenant didn't elaborate.

She smiled to herself at the obvious fact that he wanted to talk to her but that he had no idea what to say.

"Are you enjoy being on Atlantis?", she asked him and Franks smiled.

"Oh yeah…I love it", he replied.

Teyla nodded. "You don't miss earth at all?".

"Not really…I miss my mom I guess…but dad died when I was a kid so….", he let his sentence trail off as though he didn't want to talk about his father and Teyla watched him closely.

"I am sorry that you missed out on a relationship with your father", she offered and Franks shrugged.

Teyla was just about to say something else but Franks held up a hand to silence her and she strained her ears and also heard the tell tale rustlings of the undergrowth around them.

They took off as arrows began to rain down upon them and Franks grunted as one got him in the shoulder.

Neither slowed their pace though and finally they burst out of the trees and into the clearing where they had rested a few hours ago by the waterfall. They hid behind a boulder and waited, weapons poised but no-one followed them out of the trees.

As they collapsed with their backs against the boulder, Teyla turned to Franks.

"Matthew…you are hurt!", she exclaimed reaching for him and Franks was glad for the first time in his military career that he had been injured!

* * *

Lorne watched Ellie as she studied the map she held.

She glanced up a few times as if she was getting her bearings before burying her nose back into the paper and he sighed.

"You have no idea where we're going do you?", Lorne stated and Ellie lifted her head again to glare at him.

"You know…it might be nice if you could show a little faith in me…I am a member of your team after all", she said and Lorne folded his arms and leaned back against a ledge that was jutting out of the wall behind him.

Suddenly the room began to rumble and Lorne jumped forward as the ledge suddenly began to disappear into the wall.

"What did you do?", Ellie asked and he shook his head.

"Nothing".

"You must have triggered something", Ellie said looking around as Lorne said,

"Like what?".

"I don't know but we need to get out of this room", Ellie replied urgently and Lorne agreed.

They headed for the exit and Ellie gasped and stopped in the archway causing Lorne to crash into the back of her.

"I think we found what it was you triggered", she said as they looked down the length of the stone corridor before them to see huge axe-like implements swinging to and fro in such a way that you would have to jump between them extremely carefully to get to the other end of the corridor without being sliced in two.

"I didn't trigger anything", Lorne argued but Ellie merely threw him a disbelieving look over her shoulder.

"So how do we do this?", she asked and Lorne glanced at her before looking back at the swinging axes.

"You are the military planner", she added.

"Alright, just give me a minute…I'm trying to time the swings", Lorne replied tetchily and Ellie huffed and folded her arms.

"So when you need a minute its fine but when I want a minute you think its an inconvenience…".

Lorne ignored her and tried to concentrate but it was as though now she had a bee in her bonnet she couldn't let it go and she turned to face him.

"In fact, I think it's about time you cut me some slack Major because we just can't carry on like we have been doing…", she paused for breath as Lorne muttered,

"This isn't the time Ellie", and then she continued,

"You have to have some trust in me and what I do and why are you always so damn mean to me.…?", but she was stopped as Lorne yelled,

"Will you just shut the hell up for a minute!".

Ellie blinked up at him, anger flaring within her and she opened her mouth, her intention to tell him just what she thought of him but Lorne gripped her face in his hands and covered her lips with his, effectively rendering her speechless.

Something ignited between them but as quickly as Lorne had begun the kiss he ended it, wrenching his mouth from hers and stepping back, his hands dropping to his sides and he glared at her as though it was all her fault.

"That did NOT just happen", he told her and Ellie's eyes widened but she still couldn't find her voice and continued to merely stare at him.

Lorne cursed and turned back to the swinging axes.

He needed to concentrate but found he couldn't.

"Damn it. Is there no way to just stop these things swinging?", he asked and Ellie smirked at him as he turned back to face her.

"Oh…I see…you want me to get us out of this…what a surprise", she said and if looks could kill she knew she was dead and buried.

Sighing she regarded the axes.

"Give me your back pack", she said, holding her hand out to Lorne.

"What?", he asked frowning at her.

"Your back pack…take anything you need out of it", she replied and Lorne shrugged the pack off.

"There's only my bed roll and jacket in there", he said and she nodded.

She stepped out of the archway and close to the first axe.

"Careful", Lorne warned having no idea what she was up to.

He watched as she waited until just the right moment and then she placed his back pack in the way of the first axe and it dug in and got stuck in the hole in the wall that the axe swung into.

It ground to a halt as did all the others.

Lorne shook his head as Ellie turned to face him triumphantly.

Suddenly thought the axes began to shudder as though the mechanism that worked them was trying to work free.

"Come on, its not going to hold for much longer", Lorne said and grabbing her arm they raced along the corridor ducking under and jumping over the remaining axes.

They just cleared the last one when the first one broke free and began to swing once more…the others following suit.

Lorne and Ellie looked at one another and she said,

"It's your turn to get us out of the next sticky situation".

"I hope there are no more sticky situations to get out of", Lorne muttered and Ellie smiled as he barged past her and she touched her fingers to her lips as she remembered the kiss they had just shared.

Sighing she followed him through the next archway, her mind suddenly filled with thoughts that had nothing to do with finding ZPM's.

End of chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

Date : 11.02.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : Lost City Of The ZPM's

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 7 of 9

Rating : M

Pairings : None at this point in the story.

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from my last story - New Beginnings.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : Can the teams survive an adventure fit for Indiana Jones as they search for a whole city supposedly full of ZPM's?**

Lyssa and Sheppard moved from room to room and quickly realised that they weren't going to get anywhere.

"Do you think we should head back to the ladder and climb back up to the level above?", Lyssa asked and Sheppard sighed and glanced around.

"Yeah…maybe there's a secret door or something that we missed in that room", he replied and Lyssa nodded.

They headed back through the maze of rooms and promptly got lost.

"This is not happening", Sheppard muttered as they came across a room that was basically a dead end.

"Is it just me or are all of these rooms starting to look the same?", Lyssa said and Sheppard agreed.

He tapped his ear-piece.

"Ellie…do you have any idea how Lyssa and I can get off the ground floor…we're a little lost down here?".

Ellie paused and looked at her map, frowning and Lorne regarded her and moved closer to examine the map over her shoulder.

Ellie glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and tried to ignore the heat from his body as she pressed her ear-piece.

"You need to get back up onto the level above you John…there is a door in the room, you just need to find the release catch".

Sheppard rolled his eyes at Lyssa and said,

"Thanks…we'll head back up then".

In another part of the temple, Ronon and McKay glanced around the room they had just entered which was completely empty, just like all the others they had been through so far.

McKay tapped his ear-piece.

"Ellie…what are we doing here exactly? The next time you come up with a plan to find some ZPM's, remind me to…..", he trailed off as Ellie interrupted him.

"You're just jealous because Michael gave me this location and not you".

"Oh yeah, sure I am…because I really want to be best friends with a life-sucking Wraith…", McKay shot back and Ellie pulled a face and Lorne rolled his eyes.

"Could we please concentrate on where we're going here", he said and Ellie stuck her tongue out at him.

"Good idea", Ronon agreed and Ellie huffed.

"What is wrong with you guys? Are you not having fun?", she asked and Lorne shook his head at her as McKay began ranting about dust and allergies and being hungry and wanting to go home.

In the meantime Sheppard and Lyssa had finally managed to find the room with the rope ladder and were feeling pretty pleased with themselves.

"Well…that wasn't too bad I guess", Sheppard said and Lyssa smiled at him and he thought, for not the first time that day, just how attractive she was.

He hadn't really had that much to do with her in the past…she had been Ronon's girlfriend and a trusted member of Lorne's team but that had been it and he realised that he had barely spoken to her before this mission.

Maybe he should change that.

'He was single now and so was she…'.

'Interesting', he thought as he watched her pert bottom making its way back up the ladder above him.

"So…I hear you and Ronon broke up…", he ventured and he saw Lyssa's feet pause mid-climb and he wondered if he should have mentioned Ronon at all.

"Yeah", she replied cautiously. "I felt like things weren't the same between us anymore…".

"I see", Sheppard said, not sure what to say next.

Lyssa saved him the trouble of having to think of something though as she asked,

"You and Ellie…is that definitely over now?".

"I….", Sheppard began but trailed off as a loud rumbling noise from above began and the rope ladder began to wobble.

High above them, Ronon glared at McKay.

"Did you have to touch that?", he snarled as Rodney looked in panic at the loose stone he had removed from an ornate wall decoration they had come across in a corridor.

He tried to put the stone back in its place as the corridor began to shudder.

"Oh come on", he muttered as he struggled but eventually he grinned and stepped back triumphantly as he managed it and the corridor stopped shaking.

Momentarily.

Ronon looked up at just the right moment and then he launched himself at Rodney, knocking him out of the way as a huge stone slab dropped from the ceiling.

It crashed through the floor of the corridor they were in, missing them by inches and then it plummeted downwards, smashing through the floors of the levels below.

Rodney and Ronon stared at the hole in the floor in horror.

"Sheppard…watch out down there!", Ronon warned through the comms and Sheppard and Lyssa looked up as the sound of something big coming their way got louder and dust and debris began to filter down around them.

"Lyssa…move back down…hurry", Sheppard said and Lyssa began trying to move back down the ladder as fast as she could but it was tricky and both she and Sheppard paused as something huge crashed through the ceiling of the room above the one they were in.

Lyssa screamed involuntarily as something landed over the hole they had been climbing toward and the ladder shook and swung so much that both she and Sheppard lost their grip and they fell to the floor, Lyssa landing on top of Sheppard.

They both lay stunned and winded as dust settled all around them. The room was now in total darkness because the falling dust and because the gush of air from when the slab had landed had blocked off the hole and snuffed out the torches.

"Lyssa! Sheppard?!", Ronon tried through the comms, glaring at McKay when there was no response.

Rodney looked back at Ronon, his face full of panic.

In another room, Lorne turned to Ellie.

"Did you feel something just now?", he asked and Ellie looked at him.

"Like what?", she asked, watching as he looked around warily.

"I don't know…come on, lets just keep moving", he replied and she shrugged and followed him, her eyes dropping unintentionally to his ass and she felt her cheeks burn.

'What on earth was she doing?, she thought. 'He hated her and she hated him…didn't she?'.

Ellie shook her head and squared her shoulders. 'Just because Major Do Everything By The Book had lost his cool and kissed her did not mean that he liked her…did it?'.

"Stop it", she muttered, blushing when Lorne looked at her over his shoulder.

"You say something?", he asked and she shook her head.

"No".

Lorne looked away and she sighed.

She had to get a grip.

* * *

Teyla had removed the arrow from Franks' shoulder and patched him up as best she could with her limited medical supplies.

"You may put your top back on now", she told him, her mouth going dry at the sweat slick sight of his stomach muscles and broad chest.

Franks thought he heard a note of regret in her voice but he couldn't be certain.

He had liked Teyla for some time now but she had always seemed so untouchable. He didn't mean she wasn't friendly or anything like that, more the type of woman whom was out of his league…or so he thought.

He shrugged his T-shirt back over his head as gently as possible so as not to disturb the bandage and he glanced around.

"I think we should try and carry on now…we shouldn't stay here too long as once they notice there's only two of us they'll come after us again".

"I agree", replied Teyla.

They worked their way along the boulders for as far as they could and then nodded at one another before taking off along the dirt track where Ellie had fallen down the embankment earlier in their journey.

They made it to the edge of the collapsed maze and paused to catch their breath.

"How the hell do we get around this?", Franks asked as he straightened and regarded the mass of crumbled stone before them.

"I think the quickest route would be to go over", Teyla replied and she and Franks looked at one another as they realised the same thing. If anything flew overhead they would be easy targets but what choice did they have?

If they tried to go around it could take a lot longer and if they deviated from the route they had taken in, they could get lost.

Steeling their selves they began to climb over the stones.

They kept a look out whilst they clambered across the tricky rubble and they were almost at the other side when they heard the tell-tale whine of a Wraith dart.

"Great. That's all we need", Franks muttered as they tried to quicken their pace.

If they didn't get down off the top of the mazes' rubble they would be sitting ducks for the Wraith's culling beam.

As the dart got nearer, Franks got down first and held his arms up to Teyla who jumped down into them, the culling beam missing her by seconds.

Franks pressed her against the side of the stones with his hard body as they waited for the dart to re-appear. They waited for what seemed like an age and finally, when they heard nothing further, Franks pulled back and looked down at her.

"Are you alright?", he asked, lifting his hand and moving some hair that had come loose from her clip and was hanging around her face and getting in her eyes.

"Yes…I am fine thank you", she replied looking up into his chocolate brown eyes.

Franks knew that he had to kiss her there and then because it may be the only chance he ever got.

Before he could lose his nerve he pressed his mouth down over hers and kissed her, relief washing through him as he felt Teyla mould herself against him, her hands gripping his upper arms.

When they eventually pulled apart they grinned at one another.

"I have been wanting you to do that for the longest time", Teyla admitted, a blush stealing through her cheeks and Franks suddenly felt more alive than he had in years!

He smiled at her and gripped her hand.

"Come on…lets get back to the jumper so that we can get the others and get the hell away from this place", he said and Teyla agreed.

* * *

Ellie and Lorne entered a huge room and looked around at the immensely high ceiling and enormous statues.

"Wow", Ellie commented as she looked around.

This was without doubt the most decorative room they had come across so far.

"Strange", Ellie commented and Lorne sighed.

"What is?", he asked and she glanced at him, frowning as he leaned back against the belly of the statue of a naked woman which was behind him.

"How this room is so elaborate compared to the others…and you really shouldn't lean against anything…remember what happened the last time….", she said, trailing off as suddenly the statues hands clamped down upon Lorne's shoulders and he struggled and tried to move but to no avail.

"What the hell….?", he said trying to twist out of the statues grasp but she was holding him fast.

"Uh-oh", Ellie murmured as the grin that had first spread across her face at seeing Lorne's predicament suddenly faded and her expression looked worried as she glanced above him.

"Uh-oh? Don't uh-oh me. What does that mean?", Lorne asked, still straining against the statue's hold as Ellie pointed upwards.

Lorne twisted and looked up and saw that a large cauldron type pot with what appeared to be boiling oil in it had moved to directly above his head…'Must have been when the statue's hands had lowered', Ellie thought.

"You had better get me out of this or I'll….", he trailed off as Ellie glared at him.

"Or you'll what? Kiss me again?", she snapped and Lorne's eyes narrowed at her.

"You should be so lucky", he commented and Ellie's eyes widened.

"Why you complete ass…..", her words trailed off though as the rope that held the cauldron steady, suddenly dropped lower.

End of Chapter 7


	8. Chapter 8

-1Date : 13.02.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : Lost City Of The ZPM's

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 8 of 9

Rating : M

Pairings : Lt. Col. John Sheppard/Lyssa Hunter

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from my last story - New Beginnings.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : Can the teams survive an adventure fit for Indiana Jones as they search for a whole city supposedly full of ZPM's?**

Lyssa groaned and rolled off Sheppard and on to her back.

"Sorry", she managed and he grunted in response.

Eventually they both managed to sit up.

"What the hell was that?", Sheppard said.

"I don't know but I hope it didn't hit any of the others on its way down", Lyssa replied.

She squinted as she tried to make out Sheppard but the room was in total darkness, save for a tiny speck of light which was coming from the archway that led into the next room.

Sheppard pressed his ear-piece.

"Lorne? Ronon? You guys there?", he asked but all he received in return was a crackling, fuzzy sound.

"I think my comms' been damaged, try yours", he said and Lyssa did so but got the same result.

"Damn it!", Sheppard cursed. "Looks like we're stuck down here until the others figure out how to get us out".

"If they can get us out you mean", Lyssa said sounding defeated for the first time.

"Hey…they'll find us", Sheppard said groping for her hand in the dark.

He found it and they stood.

"Come on…lets go back to the other room, at least there's some light in there", he said and Lyssa nodded in the dark.

* * *

Ronon and a glum looking McKay made their way through empty room after empty room.

"This is farcical", McKay muttered and Ronon had to agree.

Just then Ronon heard something up ahead and he readied his gun and gripping McKay's shoulder he thrust him behind him.

"What…?", Rodney began but Ronon indicated he be quiet and Rodney promptly shut his mouth and drew his own hand-gun as they inched closer to the exit of the room.

Suddenly they found themselves surrounded by 'Nimrods' and Ronon knew instinctively that he couldn't shoot them all, even with McKay's help.

They lowered their weapons as the natives moved in closer with their spears and bows and arrows raised.

One of them spoke in a language that neither Ronon or Rodney understood and Ronon snarled,

"What'd he say?".

"How do I know?", Rodney replied but it soon became obvious that they were expected to go with the 'Nimrods'.

Ronon pressed his ear-piece.

"Lorne, we got some trouble in here…", he began but was cut off as his comms was snatched from his ear as was Rodney's and their weapons were taken from them.

Ellie, who heard Ronon's communication said into her ear-piece,

"Ah, Ronon, we've got a little trouble here too…you're on your own for a while I'm afraid", she replied but of course Ronon never got to hear her response, a fact that Ellie didn't realise as she turned her attention back to Lorne's predicament.

"You'll have to have a look around this statue, see if you can see a release catch", Lorne said to her but she ignored him and headed to the other side of the room.

Lorne stared after her.

"Ellie! Where are you going? Check the damn statue", he said but she waved an arm at him almost dismissively as she headed toward a wall full of inscriptions.

"Ellie?!", Lorne shouted as he watched the pot of oil above him tip slightly sideways.

Ellie scanned the inscriptions on the wall and frowned when Lorne yelled her name yet again.

"Would you be quiet. I cant concentrate….", she said.

"You cant….", Lorne muttered sarcastically but she ignored him and continued to read.

When she groaned loudly Lorne eyed her warily.

"What is it?", he asked and Ellie turned to face him and sighed as she looked up at the statue behind him and the pot of boiling oil.

"I have to press something on her to get her to release you", she replied and Lorne glared at her.

"So press it…whatever it is", he said and Ellie moved back to stand in front of him.

"I cant reach it", she replied, folding her arms as a blush stole across her cheeks.

Lorne twisted as best he could and looked up at the statue's body and he groaned as his eyes rested on the only thing that looked prominent enough to need pressing.

The statue's left nipple.

* * *

Sheppard and Lyssa felt like they had sat around for hours talking about this and that…parents, siblings, their likes and dislikes, Atlantis…but finally Lyssa felt that she could hold her curiosity back no longer.

"So…you and Ellie…you never got a chance to answer my question earlier", she said and Sheppard looked at her, wondering why she was so interested in whether he and Ellie were still dating. Did it mean that she liked him?

"Ellie and I are just friends now", he replied, then added, "Well, that's all we ever were really….just good friends".

Lyssa regarded him thoughtfully.

"Good friends that slept together?", she asked and Sheppard cleared his throat.

"Well…kinda. We were both at a loose end…we kept one another company if you like", he said looking a little uncomfortable.

Lyssa smiled. She understood, in a way, that he was trying to say that he and Ellie hadn't been in a serious relationship but like a typical man he just didn't know how to explain himself very well.

At least she knew that he was single now anyway.

For a while they both remained silent, a heavy tension settling inexplicably around them.

They looked at one another and knew that there was every possibility that they were not going to get out of this alive.

With that in mind, Sheppard stepped closer to Lyssa and cupped her face in his hands.

His eyes asked her a silent question which she answered by pressing her mouth over his in a kiss that was filled with as much desperation as it was need.

Whether it was the danger of the situation they found themselves in or what they weren't sure, but neither could hold back the rush of desire they both felt when Sheppard pulled Lyssa's body in tightly against his own.

Lyssa moaned into Sheppard's mouth as he cupped her bottom and lifted her against him slightly so that she could feel how much he wanted her.

And he discovered that he did want her, very much.

He backed her against a stone ledge, dragging at her T-shirt and she reached for his, pulling it free from his combats and he moaned as her hands came into contact with his skin.

Their kiss deepened and Sheppard groaned as his fingers found the tight buds of her nipples.

Lyssa wrenched her mouth from his and grasped the bottom of her own T-shirt. She pulled it over her head, her blonde hair fanning out as she did so and Sheppard let his eyes feast on her naked torso in the torch light.

She wore no bra…didn't need to. Her breasts were high and pert, her nipples jutting out at him, begging for his attention. He lowered his head and took one into his mouth, his teeth grazing the sensitive bud and Lyssa speared her fingers into his floppy hair as she gasped.

Lightening streaks raced to her centre and she tried to bring herself more flush against his groin area but she couldn't quite manage it and she growled in frustration.

Sheppard pulled his mouth from her breast and straightened to remove his T-shirt and whilst he did this, Lyssa took the opportunity to open the button and zipper on his combats and delve a hand inside.

She took him by surprise and as her hand closed around his erection, Sheppard's eyes widened and he made an O shape with his mouth.

"Speechless for once Colonel?", Lyssa asked, smiling at him as she stroked him, feeling herself become bolder at the knowledge that she could turn him on like this.

She leaned forward and kissed his neck and Sheppard felt that as much as he liked her teasing him he wasn't getting to touch her nearly as much as he wanted to and he reached for the button and zipper of her combats and once they were open he pushed a hand inside of them and into her panties.

Lyssa gasped as his fingers touched her damp opening and her fingers tightened on his shoulders as he experimentally dipped just the tips of his fingers inside of her.

"Sheppard", she said his name because she didn't know what else to say as passion clouded her mind and constricted her throat.

"I think you should call me John", he murmured as his lips caressed her neck and Lyssa arched into his touch.

"John", she breathed as his fingers dipped deeper.

Suddenly Sheppard moved his hands and began to tug her combats and panties down and he squatted down to remove her boots and she found the hand that had been around his hardened length suddenly in mid air and she looked down at him, not even daring to think if she was doing the right thing or not.

All she knew was that she wanted him so badly that her insides felt on fire and her heart was pounding with excitement.

She stepped out of her combats and panties and Sheppard kicked them to one side as he stood and moved closer to her.

His hands cupped her buttocks and lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders as she felt the head of his jutting erection press against her moist folds.

Sheppard gritted his teeth as he felt the tip of him enter Lyssa slightly.

God he was ready for this…he needed the feel of her around him, fully, engulfing him in her heat. He moved slightly so that she was resting against the ledge slightly to give himself more leverage and then he rolled his hips and felt himself go deeper and Lyssa took a sharp intake of breath.

He took her mouth with his and pushed again, burying himself to the hilt and Lyssa's arms tightened on him as he began to thrust in and out of her.

She felt the need for air as the feeling of him filling her so fully began to overwhelm her senses and she wrenched her mouth from his and buried her face in his neck, making small gasping sounds which echoed in the stone walled room.

Sheppard closed his eyes and tried to control the fire raging in the pit of his stomach but he could feel the build up beginning.

He held Lyssa with one arm and reached between their thrusting bodies and he found the nub of her desire…it was swollen and he knew she was close.

He gave her a few soft strokes and then a few firmer ones and Lyssa cried out and threw her head back, forcing her upper body away from him slightly and he took the opportunity to take a nipple into his mouth, prolonging her pleasure and he ground himself against her.

The action pushed Sheppard further toward his own completion and he pushed her harder against the ledge as he thrust more forcefully into her sensitive body.

Lyssa, who was just coming down from the heights of ecstasy felt the pressure beginning to build yet again and she found herself meeting Sheppard's thrusts stroke for stroke as she strove for her second release.

They came at the same time and clung to one another, Lyssa stroking Sheppard's sweat-slick back as he moaned loudly and shuddered against her, holding her tightly.

As their senses returned, their death-grips on one another lessened and Lyssa found herself suddenly becoming shy as Sheppard gazed at her.

"You're beautiful", he murmured, kissing her lightly and she smiled at him.

"You don't have to say that", she replied and he regarded her.

"I know I don't…but you are and I want you to know that I think you are".

"Thank you…you're not so bad yourself", she replied, laughing and trailing her hands up his arms to rest them on his shoulders, savouring the feeling of still having his body inside of hers.

Suddenly the ground began to rumble and the walls began to shake.

"Oh crap", Sheppard said and he gently withdrew his body from Lyssa's.

* * *

Teyla and Franks had made it back to the edge of the ravine that they needed to cross back over in record time and they looked over the edge and down at the water below.

They had managed to evade the wraith dart a few more times and it had apparently given up trying to locate them and moved on and they had come to the conclusion that the wraith were probably here for the ZPM's too as opposed to culling.

"I hope there's at least one more swing in these twines…didn't Doc Harrison say they had a limited life?", Franks said and Teyla nodded but she was also worried about something else.

"Matthew your shoulder is hurt…will you be able to swing across? Maybe we should go separately…", she said but Franks shook his head.

"I'll be fine…and we go together", he told her firmly and she offered him a smile.

He was so handsome and she wondered if their heated kiss from earlier would lead anywhere upon their return to Atlantis.

She watched as Franks wrapped a twine around his hand and arm on his un-injured side and then he looked to her.

"I don't want to hurt you", she said, not knowing where to hold onto him for fear of damaging his shoulder further.

"Wrap your arms around my waist and hold on tight", he advised and she nodded, wondering why she hadn't thought of that…she was usually such a resourceful person.

Taking a deep breath and offering up a prayer, Franks swung them off of the edge and across the ravine and he whooped in delight as they landed on the other side.

Teyla laughed as he grabbed her hand and they headed back down the incline and toward the jumper.

Once inside they allowed themselves to breathe a sigh of relief and then Franks dialled Atlantis.

Teyla spoke to Weir once they were connected.

She explained what had happened so far.

"So as far as you're aware, the others are all still inside of the temple?", Weir asked.

"That's right", Teyla replied.

"And are there any signs of any ZPM's yet?", Weir said and Teyla looked at Franks as she considered her answer.

She didn't want to get Ellie into trouble but she had to tell the truth and up to the point where she and Franks had had to turn back, there had been no sightings of any ZPM's.

"No…", she answered reluctantly.

"But that doesn't mean that the others haven't found some by now", Franks added.

Weir sighed.

"Okay, give them another hour and then take the jumper and fly over the area, see if you can see any signs of them", she instructed and Teyla nodded.

"Yes ma'am", Franks replied as they cut the connection.

* * *

"You'll have to climb up me to reach it", Lorne said to Ellie and she looked at him, the thought making her heart jump all over the place and it had nothing to do with her medical condition.

She hovered indecisively but when the pot of oil tipped a little more their way she moved quickly toward Lorne and launched herself at him.

Instead of wrapping her legs fully around his waist, she gripped his hips with her knees and then she was able to push herself up and she stretched as she tried to reach the statue's offending nipple.

Lorne tried hard to ignore the way Ellie's breasts were moving in front of his face and he closed his eyes.

"Nearly got it", Ellie said as she stretched as high as she could and her fingertips touched the statue's cold breast. "I just need to be a little higher", she added and Lorne grasped her waist and lifted her the extra inches she needed and she pressed the nipple.

Immediately, the statue's hands unclamped from Lorne's shoulders and Ellie slid down his body until her feet touched the floor.

A floor that suddenly gave way underneath them and sent them hurtling down a chute that had water running down it and it resembled a water ride from a theme park.

Ellie screamed as they went, the sloshing water soaking them both and it was only when they dropped out of the bottom and Lorne landed on top of her did she stop.

End of Chapter 8


	9. Chapter 9

Date : 15.02.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : Lost City Of The ZPM's

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 9 of 9

Rating : M

Pairings : Lt. Col. John Sheppard/Lyssa Hunter

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from my last story - New Beginnings.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : Can the teams survive an adventure fit for Indiana Jones as they search for a whole city supposedly full of ZPM's?**

As the water continued to spill around them Lorne looked down at Ellie and at first he thought he had crushed her to death as she was lying beneath him with her eyes closed and she wasn't moving.

He rested his weight on his elbows, his body still on hers as he moved her wet hair away from her face.

"Ellie?", he said, his voice sounding urgent. "Ellie come on…talk to me".

Ellie opened her eyes and looked up at him. She was perfectly fine, she just didn't want him to move.

"Are you okay?", he asked, his voice sounding gentle for once and she blinked at him as she realised how cute he was when he wasn't yelling at her.

"You owe me a kiss for saving you from the boiling oil", she blurted without meaning to and Lorne's eyes widened at her comment.

"I don't recall agreeing to that", he replied but he made no move to move off of her and he wondered what had come over him all of a sudden as he realised that her lips really did look quite inviting.

His head lowered a fraction and he watched as Ellie's eyelids fluttered closed in what he could only think was anticipation of his kiss and he was just about to lower his mouth to hers when Sheppard and Lyssa appeared in the archway to the room they had landed in.

"Major? What happened?", Sheppard asked and at the sound of his voice, Lorne sprang up off of Ellie and she opened her eyes and tried to mask her disappointment.

"We set off this trap Sir", Lorne replied to the question and it was only then that he and Ellie realised that the water hadn't stopped and was fast spreading across the floor of this room and out into the next.

"I can see that", Sheppard replied as Ellie stood.

"Is that going to stop?", Lyssa asked looking at the flowing water and Ellie glanced at the chute then back at Lyssa.

"I don't know. Where's the exit?", she asked and Sheppard shrugged.

"There is no way off this level from what we can see and if that water doesn't stop, pretty soon we're going to drown".

"Great", Lorne said then added, "Ronon radioed that he and Dr McKay were having some kind of trouble but we were a little stuck ourselves so we couldn't assist them…we haven't heard from them since".

"Our radios are screwed too", Sheppard said as he looked at Ellie.

"You have to know a way to get us out of here", he said and she stared at him.

"I do?", she queried, but upon receiving a look that could kill she added, "I do…yeah…of course I do…leave it with me", and she took off, splashing through the now ankle deep water.

* * *

If the situation Ronon found himself in wasn't so serious, he felt certain that he would normally have been rolling around by now in fits of laughter at the sight of McKay stripped half naked and stood in a pot of water with what looked like vegetables bobbing all around him.

As a finishing touch, the 'Nimrods' had put an ornate headdress on Rodney's head which consisted of feathers and flowers and they were just starting to place pieces of wood all around the base of the pot.

"This is not happening to me", McKay screeched in his usual, 'I'm in total panic mode', voice and Ronon tried to break free from the bonds at his hands.

He glanced around and tried to look for a way out…for anything or anyone who could help them.

And that's when he saw it.

"McKay! Look!", he said and Rodney glanced over to where Ronon was indicating with movements of his head and he saw a ZPM sitting in a cut out part of a boulder as though it was some kind of worship point or offering.

"I don't believe it", Rodney said, then promptly squealed again as a native proceeded to set fire to the wood around the pot he was stood in.

Rodney tried to blow on the fast rising flames and he waved his arms around, trying to splash water out of the pot and onto the fire but it didn't quite work.

The natives who had been watching his antics suddenly started to mimic his actions and they started to wave their arms and yell.

"What the hell are you doing McKay, this is no time to play with the locals", Ronon shouted and Rodney glared at him.

"Are you serious!", Rodney yelled back as he felt the bottom of the pot slowly beginning to heat up.

Ronon gritted his teeth and strained against his bonds.

He had to get them out of this and soon.

* * *

Teyla and Franks waited half and hour.

"I cannot stand this", Teyla said and Franks agreed.

"Me neither", he said moving into the pilots seat. "Let's get going".

Teyla nodded and sat in the co-pilots seat as he started the jumper and they slowly took off.

They flew over the distance back to the temple and Franks said,

"Do you see anything down there?".

Teyla peered out of the jumpers' window and sighed deeply.

"No…nothing".

"I'll go around again", Franks said steering the jumper to the left.

* * *

Lorne, Sheppard and Lyssa watched as Ellie felt her way around the walls and it was Lyssa who moved to help first.

"What're you looking for?", she asked and Ellie smiled at her.

"I have no idea…but don't tell them that", she whispered and Lyssa had to laugh.

She wanted to tell Ellie about what had happened between her and Sheppard but now was probably not the best time. She was beginning to wonder though if they were ever going to get out of this temple at all.

Ellie saw the fleeting look of worry that crossed Lyssa's face and she said,

"Seriously, I'm just looking for any kind of loose stone or a catch or anything that looks out of place".

Lyssa nodded and moved over to another section of wall, starting to search with Ellie.

Sheppard and Lorne looked at one another and then down at the rising water which was rapidly reaching their knees and they knew they had to do something.

"You got any C4?", Sheppard asked and Lorne nodded and reached into a couple of his tac vest pockets and produced the explosive.

Sheppard nodded and took it from him and they moved over to what they hoped was an outside wall.

"What are you doing?", Ellie asked as she watched Sheppard secure two blocks to the dry part of the stone wall.

"Getting us out of here", Sheppard replied.

"But the explosion could bring the whole place down", Ellie objected and Lyssa nodded in agreement and Sheppard sighed.

"Okay look, keep searching for the release button but the second the water gets to this point", and he indicated to a mark on the wall, a little underneath the C4, "We blow this, alright?".

Ellie and Lyssa agreed and started searching again.

Sheppard moved over to Lyssa and whispered,

"Are you okay?".

"Yeah, sure…are you?", she replied suddenly feeling hot under his gaze, despite the cold water climbing up her thighs.

"I will be once we get back to Atlantis and you and I take a hot shower", Sheppard replied and Lyssa looked at him.

"And would that shower be together or apart?", she asked and he cocked his head at her.

"What do you think?".

Lorne sighed as he watched Sheppard and Lyssa talking and he moved to where Ellie was.

"You alright?", he asked and although she nodded he could tell that she had lost some of her sparkle.

"Once we get out of here we still might come across some ZPM's", he said, trying to sound encouraging but she shook her head at him.

"I doubt it…so it looks like I'll be resigning and then I'll be out of your hair Major".

Lorne frowned at her.

"Ellie…", he began but was cut off as the water suddenly began to rise extremely quickly around them and he and Sheppard looked at one another from across the room urgently. They made sure their guns and ammo were kept above the water just in case.

"The charge", Sheppard said, battling the water and moving over to check the C4 whilst Lorne ushered Ellie and Lyssa well back and around the archway.

Sheppard joined them and detonated the C4 just before the water had a chance to engulf it and them.

The blast blew a large hole in the wall and as the water rushed through it, the four of them lost their footings and were swept along with it out into what looked like a large stone courtyard that was vastly overgrown.

They lay sprawled, catching their breath as the remaining water gushed out of the temple and flowed away.

They sat up and looked around and Ellie was the first to let out a cry of delight as she saw two ZPM's glinting in the sunlight….they were nestled amongst some rocks, but were there nonetheless.

She stood and raced over to them, examining the rocks for booby traps before picking up one of the ZPM's.

Sheppard and Lyssa glanced at one another and Lyssa laughed, relived for Ellie's sake that they had finally come across some of what they had come here for.

Lorne shook his head and raked a hand through his wet hair, also secretly glad that this mission hadn't been a complete failure.

He went to look away from Ellie but a movement to her left caught his eye and he immediately reached for his P-90, his action causing Sheppard and Lyssa to do the same and they aimed at the wraith who suddenly appeared from the trees.

Ellie saw what they were doing and her stomach filled with dread as she turned her head and saw the wraith stood not too far from her side. She clutched the ZPM tightly and took a deep breath before starting to run at full pelt back toward Lorne, Lyssa and Sheppard.

The second she was clear they opened fire and the wraith eventually dropped to the floor.

"Do you think there's more of them?", Ellie asked and Sheppard nodded.

"I reckon so", he replied. "Get that other ZPM and lets see if we can find McKay and Ronon".

* * *

Franks and Teyla hovered near the temple and Teyla tried to see through the gaps in the trees below.

She felt like it was useless and really they needed to be on the ground but there was nowhere for Franks to land the jumper.

Franks was just about to move away again when Teyla spotted what she thought looked like fire flickering and then she saw movement.

"Wait!", she cried and Franks looked at her.

"What is it?".

"There is something happening below, I think I can see a fire of some kind", she informed him.

"It may be our people", Franks said and Teyla frowned.

"It could also be the local people".

"I'll try and take us lower, see if there's any room to get through some of the trees", Franks said and began manoeuvring the jumper down.

Luckily he found a clearing and he guided the jumper carefully through.

* * *

McKay was beginning to feel the heat and he started to hop up and down, which prompted the natives to follow suit and Ronon closed his eyes and shook his head as he continued to work free from his bonds.

"You know this isn't the kind of dinner invitation I was thinking of", McKay yelled but the natives just grinned at him.

Finally Ronon got his hands free just as the jumper appeared at the edge of the trees, scaring the natives half to death and most of them fled for the cover of the opposite trees whilst some of the warriors stayed.

Franks and Teyla stared at the sight of Rodney in a cooking pot and Franks couldn't help the laugh that escaped him.

Teyla looked at him chidingly but the corners of her mouth ached with the effort not to curl up into a smile.

Franks fired off a blast to frighten and clear the remaining natives and as Ronon raced over to Rodney, Teyla moved to the back of the jumper and opened it up.

"Can you climb out?", Ronon asked as he started to kick dirt at the flames that were beginning to slow cook Rodney.

"Not really", McKay answered, sounding exasperated and Ronon nodded.

"I'll have to tip this over then…get ready".

Rodney braced himself as Ronon leaned against the pot and eventually it tipped over and the water, vegetables and Rodney poured out.

"Let's get out of here", Ronon said as Rodney staggered to his feet but then headed in another direction.

"McKay!", Ronon yelled but then saw that Rodney was only going to grab the ZPM from its place in the rock before re-joining him.

Teyla helped them onto the back of the jumper and when they were safely inside, Franks took them out of the area and high above the temple again.

Lyssa and Lorne walked ahead of Ellie and Sheppard and Ellie felt a little disappointed at how quickly Lorne had seemed to want to break up their pairing.

She stomped along, her boots squelching and Sheppard regarded her.

"You alright?", he asked and she nodded glumly.

"So why the long face then? We got two ZPM's and we may come across more yet", Sheppard said and she nodded but still kept silent.

"Is your heart okay?", Sheppard asked and Ellie sighed.

"John, I'm fine, really. I guess I'm just a little tired", she lied, hoping to appease him.

It seemed to work and Sheppard said,

"I just want to go a little further, see if we can see anything of Ronon and McKay and then we'll stop for a break".

"Great", Ellie said, forcing a smile as Sheppard jogged forward and drew alongside of Lyssa.

Ellie sighed and looked around at the trees as she walked.

Lorne glanced at her over his shoulder at the same time and dropped back from Lyssa and Sheppard, telling himself it was for safety reasons, but in truth he missed her company.

Just then though the jumper appeared overhead and Lyssa and Sheppard began waving their arms like crazy and Lorne joined in and so Ellie missed the fact that he had been going to join her entirely.

Franks lowered the jumper as close to the ground as he could and they clambered on board.

"What happened to you?", Sheppard asked as he took in McKay's headdress and Rodney snatched it from his head as if he'd forgotten he'd even been wearing it.

"You might well ask", he muttered.

"At least we got this", Ronon said, holding aloft the ZPM that Rodney had retrieved and Ellie finally smiled and moved closer to Ronon.

"We got two", she beamed at him and Ronon grinned at her.

"Lieutenant, take us home", Sheppard ordered, moving to the front of the jumper and Franks did as instructed.

* * *

News spread fast that three ZPM's had been brought back to Atlantis and a celebration of sorts had been arranged in the bar area for that night.

Sheppard and Lorne's teams had briefed Weir on the mission and had been dismissed for the day.

Sheppard and Lyssa had sneaked off to his quarters together and the rest had gone their separate ways to get cleaned up.

* * *

Once Ellie was showered and changed she went to the mess hall. She still felt inexplicably miserable over Lorne and when she felt miserable she needed cake.

Chocolate cake to be precise.

She also needed to see Michael but the cake was more important right now.

She got herself a huge piece and as she went to find a seat she saw a sizeable group of people gathered around one table that was pushed against a wall.

Her curiosity peaked, she headed over to the group, her cake on a plate in her hand.

"What's going on?", Ellie asked of Laura Cadman and the Lieutenant turned and grinned at her.

"Valentines cards", she stated and Ellie frowned as she suddenly remembered that it was indeed Valentines Day that day.

"The crew from the Daedalus brought a whole batch of blank cards from home for us to use to send to people if we want to", Cadman elaborated when Ellie continued to look perplexed.

"You'd better get one before they all go Doc if you want to send one to your sweetheart that is", Cadman said teasingly and Ellie regarded her.

"My sweetheart?", she said and Cadman nodded.

"Yeah, Major Lorne…you two argue so much but its sooo obvious that you're hot for each other".

"Yeah right" Ellie retorted, sticking her tongue out at Cadman before taking her cake and going to find a seat.

As she ate her cake though, she thought about what Cadman had said and a plan began to form in her mind.

'Would it hurt to send Lorne a card?', she wondered. He didn't have to know it was from her…and she certainly wouldn't tell him.

She waited until the crowd had died down around the table, then as she left the mess hall she snatched one up on her way past and crushed it against her chest, folding her arms over it.

She took it back to her quarters and stared at it, wondering what on earth had come over her.

She was about to sit down on her bed when her door buzzed and so she threw the card onto her bed and headed to open it.

It was Lyssa who was looking all clean and fresh and VERY chirpy.

"Hi…have you got a few minutes?", Lyssa asked and Ellie nodded and stepped back.

"Sure, come in".

Lyssa entered Ellie's room and immediately noticed how 'girly' it was. There were dresses and shoes and bottles of lotions and perfumes strewn around and Ellie blushed.

"Sorry about the mess…I was trying to decide what to wear to the bar later", she explained and Lyssa smiled.

"Its okay. I was wondering if I could talk to you about Shep…John…", she said, correcting her mistake.

She didn't know whether she could get used to calling Sheppard by his first name but if they were going to get involved she would have to try.

"John?", Ellie asked as they sat on her bed and Lyssa nodded.

"I wanted to tell you…before things went any further….", she began and Ellie wondered what Lyssa was trying to tell her.

Lyssa took a deep breath and looked straight at Ellie as she blurted,

"John and I made love in the temple and just now…in his quarters…and I hope you're okay with that because I 'really' like him", and then she blushed scarlet as Ellie blinked at her.

"Ohhh", Ellie said, then smiled, "Of course I'm okay with it Lyssa…you don't need to explain yourself to me".

Lyssa looked worried as she explained, "Well, you and he were together but I want us to be friends and I didn't want the fact that I'm going to be seeing John to interfere with that in any way".

Ellie reached out and touched Lyssa's shoulder.

"It was nice of you to think of me…but honestly, it's fine…I have no problems with you and John…in fact, I have this", Ellie paused as she stretched and grabbed the valentines card from the bedside table and handed it to Lyssa before continuing, "You can help me write it out".

"What is it?", Lyssa asked looking at the white card with red hearts all over it.

"It's a Valentines card…its something we do on earth to show that we like someone…but you're supposed to keep your identity a secret", Ellie replied.

"But how will the person know that you like them in that case?", Lyssa asked and Ellie shrugged.

"I know its stupid, it's just a laugh really".

"So who are you planning on sending this to?", Lyssa queried and Ellie blushed.

"Major Lorne", she replied and Lyssa gawped at her.

"But you two hate each other…don't you?".

"Well yeah…sort of…I just wanted to wind him up really", Ellie said, avoiding Lyssa's gaze.

"But you actually do like him don't you", Lyssa said and Ellie looked at her.

"Yes…but don't you dare tell him…or John…or anyone for that matter".

"My lips are sealed", Lyssa replied. "So what are you putting inside?".

"Well I know these two verses", Ellie said and then recited them for Lyssa.

ooOoo

'I love you more than chocolate

Red wine and biscuits too.

I'd happily go on a diet

If I could have more of you'.

ooOoo

'Your smile is the smile of an angel.

Your voice is as soft as a harp.

I'd give you French kisses my darling

But your tongue is far too sharp'.

Lyssa rolled about laughing.

"I love them…you have to put both of them in there", she said and Ellie nodded and began to try and disguise her handwriting by holding her pen awkwardly.

When she was done she was about to put the card in its envelope when Lyssa snatched it from her and unknowingly grabbed Ellie's favourite perfume from her chest of drawers and squirted some inside.

"No!", Ellie cried, snatching the card back and blowing on it to try and rid it of the scent but it was useless and the damage was done.

"What?", Lyssa asked innocently and Ellie sighed.

"Well, now he has a scent to go off", she said and Lyssa shrugged.

"Just don't wear that one for a while", she suggested and Ellie nodded and put the card into its envelope.

"I'll drop it into Lorne's office on my way to get changed for the bar if you like", Lyssa said and Ellie smiled gratefully and handed her the envelope. She didn't really want to risk getting caught doing it herself.

Lyssa moved to the door.

"I'd better go. So I'll see you later at the party?", she asked and Ellie nodded.

"Sure…I'll look forward to it", she said, but the second Lyssa had left her quarters with the Valentines card she wondered if she had done the right thing.

The End

The AU Series will continue soon with the next story : Ellie and The Major


End file.
